The Journey
by seegrim
Summary: When Daphne goes missing, how far will Zacharias go to find her?


Zacharias could not remember a time when he was upset to the point of being physically ill. His discussion with Daphne had left him feeling confused, but most especially, betrayed. He thought he knew her; he thought he understood what her motivations were. After all, it wasn't as if they had just met yesterday…

Zacharias had come to know Daphne when he had been assigned to tutor her in Herbology at the beginning of their sixth year. He was intrigued by her—by the smallest things she did, from chewing on her quill to tossing her long brown hair behind her shoulder. He found it all endearing. He finally gathered enough courage by the middle of their sixth year at Hogwarts to ask her on a date to Hogsmeade.

_The Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were heading back to the castle from a Herbology lesson, making their way through a drizzling rain when Zacharias caught sight of Daphne. She was walking with a group of Slytherins, apparently on their way out to greenhouse three, and she was laughing and conversing with a blonde-haired girl. _

'_It's now or never,' Zacharias thought, and excused himself from his group of friends and ran over to Daphne. Steeling his nerve, and with a fierce look of determination on his face, he addressed her. _

"_Daphne, hi," he said, getting her attention. _

_She looked up at him, surprised, and her friend stared._

"_Smith," she murmured, her eyes questioning._

"_Go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?" he asked, his voice steady and sure._

_Daphne's friend laughed and tugged at her sleeve. "Come on, Daphne, we're getting soaked. Tell this poor sod no, and quick—before we drown out here." She turned on her heel and followed her fellow Slytherins towards the greenhouse._

_Daphne hesitated for a moment, the rain further soaking into her robes, wondering why Zacharias Smith was asking _her_ out. Hufflepuffs and Slytherins were not known to get on well. And just because she spoke with him while he was tutoring her, it was only because she had to, wasn't it?_

"_No, Smith, I think not," she said. "Excuse me." She gave him one last searching look and turned away to catch up with her friend._

Daphne couldn't understand why Zacharias was drawn to her like he was; it was as if he couldn't get enough of her, no matter how she treated him. It was unsettling—his determination—and finally she relented. No one in her life, except her mother, had ever offered the type of unconditional acceptance that Zacharias did. He had convinced her, finally, of his sincere affection towards her—to both of their surprise, she returned it.

Now in the remaining week of their tenure at Hogwarts, they had studiously avoided more sensitive topics…such as what her father did for extracurricular activities, and what his plans were for Daphne regarding the Dark Lord. Finally, she broached the subject one evening before dinner, as they stood near the lake, enjoying the early summer weather.

"_I don't know what to do," she said. The dark circles under her eyes were obvious against the paleness of her skin. She rested her head against his chest and sighed. "I don't know how much longer I can put off taking the Dark Mark." A cool breeze from the lake blew towards them and she shivered. "I've done everything I can think of to stall. I don't know what else to do," she whispered from the shelter of his arms. _

"_What are you saying?" he asked, holding her firmly in his embrace. "Is it over then? Are you giving into them?" He wore a pained expression on his face as visions of Daphne becoming a Death Eater passed in front of his eyes. "Daphne?"_

"_Zacharias, we both knew this probably wouldn't work. What do you want me to say? I'll leave my family, my life, and go join the side of light, and hope the Dark Lord won't find me? Hope he won't retaliate in some awful manner?" She shuddered at the thought, recalling the horrific images of the Barnes family and what had been their fate when the Dark Lord had realized their traitorous ways. _

"_Please," he pleaded. "You'll be safe on the Order's side, the right side. I'll keep you safe, I promise." His voice was strained; his grip on her tightened out of anxiety. _

"_What makes your side the right side?" Daphne sighed. "What makes you think it will make a difference, which side I fight for? We can never be together; it doesn't matter," she said despondently. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself and turned her back on Zacharias._

"_Why do you still insist we can't be together?" he asked. "It's as though you still believe in those old prejudices against any House besides Slytherin! I thought we meant enough to each other to take a stand—to fight for us, but I see I'm mistaken."_

_She paused, knowing she was hurting him, but unsure of how to answer him without doing so further. The silver charm bracelet she always wore jingled softly in the wind. "There are some things that are more important, Zacharias. It's not just about us." _

"_Daphne, what are you on about?" he asked, confusion and pain clearly evident in his eyes. "What things are more important?"_

"_Well, our lives for one. How long, if we keep this up, are we going to live? Do you think my father or the Dark Lord will be so taken with the very thought of us dating that they'll invite you for afternoon tea?" Frustrated with the conversation, with her life of late, she began to pace. "There is far more at stake here than just our relationship," she said crossly._

_His mouth hardened into a straight line and his eyes narrowed. "Of course there's more than more than just our relationship at stake, the lives of thousands of people hang in the balance, as well! But we knew when we started this…well, whatever we are, we knew that one day we would have to take some sort of responsibility and own up to our actions. The time is now, Daphne. What will you choose?" he demanded. _

_Daphne moved closer to Zacharias and looked at him longingly for a moment, her eyes softening, and she reached out to him, touching his face softly with her hand. "I fear the choice has already been made for me. I don't know what else to say." She placed a soft, lingering kiss on his lips and ran back toward the castle, not looking back once._

_Zacharias stood still, his hands fisted at his side, gazing out over the lake, confused and upset. He heard people chattering happily in the background, he could smell the sweet smell of flowers on the breeze, but it was as if time stood still for him. He put his fingers to his mouth; he could almost feel her soft, warm lips and he wondered if that would be the last time he would feel them._

That evening after dinner, the Death Eaters struck. Chaos reigned and bodies fell. The professors and older students fought them off valiantly until the Order members and Aurors arrived on the scene. The battle was fierce; there was no finesse about it. Curses were thrown; blood was shed.

When the smoke cleared and the air was still again, floating with the coppery smell of blood, Zacharias was not able to find Daphne. He was only able to find her father—what was left of him. _A fitting end for such a man_, he thought. No one he questioned had seen Daphne since before dinner, and talking to the remaining Slytherins was worse than talking to his mostly deaf Aunt Mable, which included lots of hand gestures, screaming, and finally, unanswered questions and vague comments.

It was not until the next morning, after a mostly sleepless night, that he gained his first shred of hope. Most of the student body had been taken home by their parents, with the exception of a few whose parents were missing or injured—or worse. He was sitting on the front steps shortly after breakfast when a young-looking Slytherin tapped him on the arm.

"You're Smith, right?" she asked abruptly, staring straight ahead.

"Yes. I am," he muttered, his eyes still downcast.

"Daphne told me to give this to you," she said indifferently, thrusting an oversized envelope into his hands as she turned to walk away.

Zacharias jumped up off the steps. "What? Wait!" he cried, reaching out and grabbing hold of her arm. "She's here? You've seen her? Where is she?"

The girl looked at him with a mixture of pity and annoyance. "No, she's not here." She rolled her eyes. "She told me if she ever left without saying goodbye first that I was to find you and give you the envelope," she said as she pulled her arm out of his grasp.

"When? When did she give you this?" he asked, eyes wide, frantic for more information.

"A couple of weeks ago, I guess," she said, clearly put out at being forced into a conversation. "Listen, I need to go. I don't know anything else." She ran up the steps and back into the school.

He sat there frozen for a moment, staring at the envelope in his trembling hands, turning it over to see 'Z. Smith' across the front in Daphne's hurried scrawl. He broke the seal with his fingertip and poured out the contents. A piece of parchment fell out on top of the pile. He picked it up and read,

'_Zacharias,_

_I'm afraid. I can't confide in you and it's devastating me. My father is planning my initiation as a Death Eater for a short time from now and the pressure is becoming unbearable. The Dark Lord himself has threatened me, not with my own life, but that of my mother's. I care for you deeply. I wish things were as easy as you made them out to be and that we could leave this world behind and start over someplace else—but I have my mother to think of. _

_I have an idea that I think actually might work, but I can't say anything about it. I'm sorry, I am, but I can't risk the chance that something would happen—someone, anyone, getting wind of my plan. I am going to take my mother and we are going to hide until it is safe for us to return. As you are reading this letter, it means I have left. _

_I've enclosed for you a map. There is no way for me to tell you where I'm going, either in written or spoken word. I can't risk someone other than you finding out. With the map, I'm hoping you can work it out for yourself. No matter what I say or do from the time I write these words, I love you. Please, come find me._

_Yours,_

_Daphne_'

He sat there on the steps, staring open-mouthed at the letter. _Why couldn't she confide in me? I'd never tell a soul anything that could hurt her. Why didn't she trust me?_ He felt hurt, but more than that, he was worried for her—worse now than before he had received her letter. True, her father was dead, but Voldemort remained, and Zacharias doubted he would forget about a potential subject that easily.

Intrigued, but more troubled by an overwhelming sense of trepidation, he unfolded the map sitting on his lap. A map of the British Isles with several numbered red dots on it stared back at him. He read the note scrawled at the bottom of the map next to the number one.

_We had our first 'real' date here. I was amazed you could pick something so overwhelmingly...me. I've left you something there and each place thereafter. This is the only the only clue I can give. I can't risk that this will end up in someone else's hands and that someone beside you will find me. If our relationship has meant as much to you as it has to me, I believe the locations on the map will be enough for you to go on._

He looked at the number one on the map, smiling when he saw it rested on London.

He placed the items from the envelope into his pockets and raced back to the Hufflepuff dormitory to grab a traveling cloak and some Galleons. He walked the path into Hogsmeade, recounting scenes from their first date and Apparated into the heart of London, in an alleyway behind the Royal Festival Hall in London, home to the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He recalled the look of delight on Daphne's face when she had realized where they were.

_"But how? How did you know?" she asked._

_"That you enjoy Muggle classical music?" he asked, smiling. _

_She nodded._

_"I recognized what you were humming to yourself in the library a few weeks back, and then again as we were out for a walk the other day." He shrugged. "I paid attention in Muggle Studies, what can I say?"_

_She threw her arms around him. "Thank you. I know not many people would be so open to the idea of a night out amongst Muggles. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it," she said, a bit apprehensively._

_He held her close, a smile still on his face. "Anything for you. We'll brave the Muggles together." _

He shook his head as if to clear his mind of the bittersweet memory. _ But where? _ he thought to himself. _Where would she have left something?_ He returned in his mind to the evening of their first date. The orchestra had finished playing, and they were outside in front of the Hall, standing near a lamppost, overlooking the river Thames and talking quietly.

_"Thank you for this, Zacharias. I had a lovely evening," she said, taking in the details of his face while leaning against the lamppost. _

_"I did, too. Thank you for finally saying yes," he said, chuckling. He ran his fingers of his right hand down the side of her face. "You're beautiful, Daphne. Inside and out," he said, and he leaned towards her and placed a kiss on her lips. _

_They broke apart, slowly, after a few moments, and smiled at each other._

The lamppost? Would she remember? Zacharias raced around the building, running towards the river, smiling when the lampposts came into view and running towards the northern-most one. He reached out and touched it, feeling the cool metal and rough embellishments on it under his fingers. He searched, slightly disappointed to see nothing was hidden on or around it. He slipped his wand out of his pocket, tucking most of it up his sleeve in the event a Muggle was looking. "_Reveal_," he said, swishing his wand. Nothing happened. He repeated the charm, still to no effect. _So she didn't use magic._ He continued to search the lamppost, feeling as if he were searching in vain, until he spotted near the backside of it, facing the river, inch-high letters scratched into the paint. "_B-I-S-H-O-P-S_"

Realizing their first kiss had meant as much to her as it did to him, Zacharias smiled and reached into his pocket for the map. The second red dot was placed on Dublin. Unlike the location of the first dot, this one did not bring to mind happy memories.

Walking back to the alleyway, Zacharias Apparated to a field outside of Dublin, Ireland. He wasn't at all surprised to see that all the signs of this being a Quidditch Pitch had been removed and all that remained was a boggy-looking marsh.

Daphne's father had given her Quidditch tickets to the Ireland/France game that he wasn't able to attend. Daphne had invited along, in addition to Zacharias, Draco and Pansy. It had been an uncomfortable experience, and luckily for everyone involved it had been a very short match, with Ireland outscoring the opponent and catching the Snitch in the first hour.

Draco and Pansy had looked down upon Zacharias—a lowly Hufflepuff in the presence of three Slytherins was unheard of—in their opinion, at least. Daphne had tried to make pleasant conversation, and Zacharias had tried to be a good sport until he realized that no matter how hard he tried, Daphne's fellow Slytherins would not approve of him. He sat the remaining few moments of the game in stony silence, staring straight ahead. At the conclusion of the game they had experienced their first fight.

_"I'm sorry about my housemates," she had said quietly after Pansy and Draco had said their goodbyes to Daphne and excused themselves. "But I do wish you had tried harder to get to know them."_

_Zacharias stood there with his arms folded over his chest. "You wish I had tried harder?" he scoffed. "Are you serious?"_

_"I know they're rather...abrasive, but really, once you get to know them, they're rather amusing." _

_"I think I'll pass on the getting to know them, if it's all the same to you," he said. _

_"But they're part of my life, Zach. They're part of who I am."_

_"You may be a Slytherin, Daphne, but that's where the similarities end. You're not rude and demeaning." _

_"You didn't just call my housemates rude and demeaning." _

_"Actually, I did." _

_The argument had escalated, ending in Daphne running away from Zacharias into the edge of the forest, where he found her crying, sitting at the base of a huge Alder tree. _

_"I'm sorry, love. Please, don't cry," he said. "And you probably don't want to sit there," he said, pulling her to her feet and pointing to the spot where the backside of her cloak had worn completely through. "It's knotgrass. Eats through any woven material. Herbology? Remember?" _

_"Thanks for that," she said. She paused for a moment, wiping her tear-streaked face. "Am I rude? Do I put you down?" she asked, sniffing._

_"Of course not," he replied. His brow furrowed. _

_"But I'm a Slytherin, too."_

_"Yes. But there's something different about you, Daphne. I wasn't saying that all Slytherins are like that, and I'm sure that Malfoy and Parkinson don't treat _you_ like rubbish."_

_He tightened his arms around her and kissed her urgently, smiling against her lips as she returned his kisses just as fervently._

He realized with a sudden clarity that Daphne had never complained once about the glances and whispers his fellow Hufflepuffs had given her through the months of their relationship. _And I couldn't put up with a few hours of Slytherin hostility for her?_

Zacharias walked away from the clearing, looking for the century-old Alder tree at the edge of the forest. Seeing it clearly, he ran towards it and circled around its base, looking for evidence that Daphne had been there recently. Searching around the tree, he found what he was looking for-etched into the bark of the tree he could make out clearly, "S-U-M-M-E-R". _ Bishops Summer? Is that supposed to mean something to me?_ Zacharias wondered.

He opened up the map and looked at the red dot with the number three on it was placed on the capital of Wales: Cardiff. It was a moment or two before he realized he was still standing there at the base of the Alder tree, smiling stupidly. He shook his head, cleared his thoughts, and Apparated to Wales. He entered his summer home, and went straight for the common room on the main floor of the house and stood in front of the fireplace.

He had taken Daphne to Wales to visit Cardiff, where his family kept their summer home. It had been closed up for the winter and he had picked it as the place for their first overnight trip away from Hogwarts. He had wanted to spend time with her, uninterrupted, as it was always the case at Hogwarts that someone or something was getting in their way. Zacharias had planned a lovely weekend for them; he only hoped that Daphne would be able to relax and enjoy herself, as she had seemed especially uptight as the holidays neared.

_The fireplace was blazing, and they were spread out, naked, on a blanket on top of the plush carpet in front of it. Her hands were fisted in his hair and she moaned as he suckled her breasts, one after the other, and slowly slipped into her. He moved slowly at first, gradually increasing his tempo as he listened for Daphne's cries of pleasure signaling her completion, very nearly after following her over the edge. They lay in each others' arms, watching the logs in the fireplace burn to embers. _

_"I love you," she said to him quietly in an emotion-filled voice._

_Surprised and elated that she felt the same way, he said, "I love you, as well." He turned his head to face her, surprised to find tears in her eyes._ _"But why are you crying, love? Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, clearly worried._

_"No, no it's not that. I'm just a bit overwhelmed, that's all. And surprised. I didn't think I'd ever feel this way," she said, as she snuggled up closer to him. _

_He tightened his arm around her. "I understand what you mean. And I do love you, Daphne. More than I've ever loved anything—more than I ever thought was possible."_

Returning to the present, he was dismayed to find an empty room, no fire burning in the fireplace, no Daphne beside him. _She loved me. It was difficult for her, but she loved me--as I was. And all I ever did was ask her to choose between her life—everything and everyone she knew—and me. I'm an arse,_ he thought.

Getting down on his hands and knees, Zacharias searched around the hearth of the fireplace, looking for another clue left behind by Daphne. Unable to find it, he lay down on his back in front of the fireplace and turned his head to look at it. _Smart girl, my Daphne_. There, scratched in a rock at eye level, was the word _'R-E-T-R-E-A-T'_.

"Bishops summer retreat?" he said to himself, out loud, wondering where it was and who or what the Bishops were. Withdrawing his wand from his pocket once more, Zacharias closed his eyes and said, "Bishops summer retreat." Nothing happened. He said it again, clearly enunciating the words, and still he remained where he was. Confused, he sat on the hearth, trying to figure out why he wasn't able to Apparate.

As he sat he fiddled with the chain around his neck, on which he wore a charm from Daphne's bracelet. He plucked the chain away from his body and fingered the delicate violin charm Daphne had given him to wear shortly after their first date. He dropped it, startled when a surge of power went rushing through him. Holding it in his fingers again, he said the words once more and felt the familiar squeeze of Apparition and appeared by the shore of small lake surrounded by trees.

He looked around, unsure where to go next, until he spotted a trail worn into the side of a hill. He started up the rapidly ascending trail, hoping at the end he would find his Daphne, happy to see him. He pushed onward, further up the hill, his breath coming quicker as the trail was quite steep, until he finally found what he had been searching for.

Directly before him was a rustic, yet quaint-looking, cabin nestled into the trees. A stone walkway led up to the steps, and he ran towards it, stopping suddenly when the door began to open, revealing the most welcome of sights. Daphne ran towards him, tears streaming down her smiling face.

"Zach! You're here. I knew you'd remember. I knew it," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He returned her embrace, holding her tightly in his arms, and staring at her as if he were afraid she'd disappear. "You're safe, thank the gods, you're safe," he said and lowered his lips to hers.

"Wait," she interrupted. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Zacharias was puzzled as Daphne pulled back until he saw her mother standing behind her. "Oh, er, sorry," he said to Daphne's mother.

"Not a problem, young man," she said.

Turning to Daphne she said, "Now please introduce me to your fellow, dear."

Smiling, Daphne said, "Mother, this is Zacharias Smith. He's about to finish his final year at Hogwarts, too. He's a Hufflepuff, and I love him," she said all in one breath.

She turned back to Zacharias and said, "Zacharias, this is my mother, Maeve Davis Greengrass."

Mrs. Smith offered her hand to Zacharias.

Shaking her outstretched hand he said, "I'm very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Greengrass."

Maeve smiled as she said, "And I'm absolutely delighted to make your acquaintance, Mr. Smith. Her wand in hand, her smile in place, she continued, "Although it seems a pity I'm going to have to hurt you now, dear, especially in front of Daphne." She hexed Zacharias without further hesitation. "_Incarcerous_!"

Zach fell backwards onto the ground, striking his head on a rock, tightly wrapped in white ropes. _Her mother_? he thought_. Shite, it was a trap. All along._

"Mother! What are you doing?" Daphne screamed. "Why?"

"Oh, do be quiet, darling. Did you really think I would let you throw your life away by refusing to serve the Dark Lord? Did you honestly believe I would support a relationship between you and a _Hufflepuff_?" she scoffed. "And I did keep him conscious, sweetheart, so he can see you take the Dark Mark. I know how close the two of you have become; I wouldn't want him to miss such an important milestone in your life." She sighed. "_Expelliarmus_," she said, and Daphne's wand soared towards her Mother's outstretched hand.

She pulled up her shirt sleeve and touched her wand to her Dark Mark, and smiled grimly at Zacharias. "You see, Mr. Smith, the Dark Lord is always aware of the goings-on of his servants."

Zacharias struggled against his bonds, stopping only after he felt the first stinging cuts from the rope.

"Yes, you should probably save your energy, dear. I didn't bind you with just anything, after all. The ropes that hold you are made of Acromantula silk. Assuming you live long enough to engender them, your grandchildren's children will pass on before these ropes could possibly be broken. So get comfortable, darling."

_Acromantula silk. Shite._ Zacharias cursed himself for not paying better attention in classes._ Why does that sound familiar?_ Zacharias scoured his brain for cross references to Acromantula silk while half-listening to Daphne's pleas to her mother.

He could almost hear Professor Sprout's voice in his head…'And then there's knotgrass. Today we'll be trimming back these bushes. They've grown far too scraggly. Knotgrass is used in Polyjuice Potion, and several lesser shape-changing potions. We'll be harvesting some today for Professor Snape as his stores are depleted, but be careful, make sure you wear your dragon-hide gloves and do not touch your clothing or anything else you wish to remain intact. The essence of knotgrass, that is, sap from its bruised leaves can eat away at any material, from silk to the toughest, thickest leather.'

Would it work? Could it work on Acromantula silk? Looking around while Daphne struggled, now physically, with her mother, he had to suppress a grin as he caught sight of a patch of it just beyond the women.

Deciding there was no way to take action subtly, and certainly no time, he rolled over towards the knotgrass and once there, struggled against his bindings, hoping it would be enough to bruise the leaves and release the essence.

Maeve achieved the upper hand against her daughter and pointed her wand at Daphne. "Gather up your boyfriend, dear. It seems he's trying to escape by rolling off. Not the most effective method now, is it?" she sniggered.

Daphne glared at her mother and went to pull Zacharias up into a sitting position. "What are you doing?" she asked, confused. "We've got to get out of here, now. My mother's summoned the Dark Lord!" she hissed. "Where's your wand?"

Wiggling in his binds, Zacharias realized they were loosening. "My binds are dissolving," he whispered. "I'll be able to reach my wand soon." He had no sooner said this than his arm was freed. Grabbing his wand, he pointed it at Daphne's mom and shouted, "Stupefy!"

A look of shocked recognition passed across her face, and she hit the ground with a sickening thump. Daphne ran over to her and retrieved her wand from her mother's pocket.

The popping sounds of Apparition sounded in the air, too many to be just a few stray Death Eaters.

"Gods, no," Zacharias said in a strangled voice as he desperately pried the rest of the ropes off his legs. He ran to Daphne's side, put his arm around her, and Apparated them to safety, just as he saw Voldemort himself striding purposefully towards them.

They reappeared inside his family's summer home, shaking and trembling, and sat upon the hearth together. Zacharias was overwhelmingly relieved to be there, especially with Daphne, unharmed, by his side.

"Daphne," he said, looking into her eyes, his gaze unwavering, "I'm so very sorry."

"Whatever for?" she asked, taken aback. It wasn't a usual occurrence for one to escape the Dark Lord and feel the need to apologize for it.

"I asked too much of you. I don't think I appreciated how much you had already given me." Zacharias said, while holding Daphne tight.

Daphne looked intently at Zach, answering him softly, "You didn't ask for more than you deserve."

"I love you, and I don't know that I deserve you, but I'm certainly willing to do anything you want if you're willing to keep me around," he said with a smile.

"Anything?" she asked as he wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him to her and kissed him thoroughly.

"Anything," he answered against her lips.

"Well, then," she said with a lascivious smile, pushing him down onto the floor in front of the fireplace, "this first. We'll discuss details later."


End file.
